Intravenous therapy involves the flow of a therapeutic solution from a sterile container to a catheter or needle positioned in a patient's vein. One or more sterile tubing sets are required to transfer fluid from the container to the vein access device. Sterile connections with the tubing set can be made in a variety of ways. For example, connections can be made using conventional male and female luer connectors. Also, connections can be made using sharp needle connectors with resealable elastomeric septums. More recently, due to the concerns about accidental needle sticks, blunt cannula connectors have been utilized to connect an IV tubing set to a prepierced elastomeric septum for IV fluid tubing sets. Often times, the tubing sets have a number of "Y" sites provided having a prepierced elastomeric septum protruding off of the short "Y" side of the connector such that a blunt cannula connector can be introduced through the septum.
A primary concern with this type of tubing connector is the inadvertent or accidental disengagement of the tubing sets connection. An uninterrupted flow of solution or medicament to the patient is important to ensure proper medication and to prevent stasis in the flow, which could cause loss of the IV site on the patient due to thrombosis of the IV catheter.
The above concerns have led to medical guidelines and procedures that require that IV connections be secured together. A variety of securing mechanisms have been developed for securing IV connections. U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,937 discloses one such securing device having a cradle with an adhesive backing for adhesion to a patient's skin. The cradle is provided with a catheter hub retaining member for receiving the IV port, cannula and cannula hub after connection of the IV connection. The cradle includes a snap fit port connector to hold the whole assembly in place, and a lateral wall having a partial circular opening preventing relative axial movement between the port and cannula to prevent accidental disengagement of the IV connection once placed within the cradle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,056 discloses a tamper discouraging system for use with an IV connection including a catheter with an elongated shaft and a hollow connector. The system includes first and second semi-annular shells for placement over the hollow connector. The first and second shells can be locked together to prevent dislodgment from the hollow connector. The system further includes a pair of arms and an arcuate flange connecting the arms at a distal end for contacting a shoulder of the elongated catheter to prevent axial disengagement of the catheter and connector when the system is in place thereabouts.
However, neither of the above securing devices are provided with features which grippingly lock onto both the port and cannula of a standard IV connection to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the cannula and port while also providing a retaining member for maintaining the security device about a tubing set when the securing device is not secured about the fluid flow connectors of the IV connection.